Hairy Biped
A humanlike or apelike Entity of North America possessing some of the char act er ist ics of Giant Hominids or North American Apes. Etymology: Coined by Jer ome Clar k as a cat chall t erm for humanoids r epor t ed in t he midwest ern and east ern Unit ed St at es and Canada. Variant names: Big hairy monst er (BHM), Billiwack monst er (in sout her n Califor nia), Booger, Buenafoot (in sout hern California), Cannibal Giant, Dwayyo, East ern bigfoot , Fluor escent Fr eddie, Goatman, Goonyak (in Vermont ), Gr assman (in Ohio), Lake Worth Monster, Manbeast , Manimal, Momo, Old slipper yskin (in Vermont ), Old yellow t op (in Ont ar io), Ole woolly, Or ange eyes (in Ohio), Pr ecambr ian Shield man, Taku he (Dakot a/Siouan, “what ’s t hat ?”), Wejuk (in Vermont ), Wood devil, Wookie, Woolly booger , Yeahoh (in Kent ucky). Physical description: Not as uniform as t he Bigfoot of t he Pacific Nor t hwest , t hough always cover ed wit h hair and walking on t wo legs (hence it s name). It ’s difficult t o gener alize t r ait s fr om r epor t s t hat might have mult iple causes, but some of t he following feat ur es ar e usually pr esent . Height , 4–9 feet , t hough sizes up t o 12 feet ar e ment ioned. Hair or fur is r eddish-br own t o black, oft en descr ibed as 6–8 inches long. Oft en dist inct ly lacking in facial feat ur es, but a cat like face is occasionally r epor t ed. Red, orange, yellow, or gr een glowing eyes. Flat , br oad nose. Point ed ear s. Wer ewolflike fangs. Mane. Long ar ms. Hands ar e somet imes clawed. Long legs. Behavior: Pr imar ily noct urnal. Usually has an awkwar d, bipedal gait but somet imes r uns on all four s. Said t o be able t o swim. Occasionally seen wit h young. Repor t ed calls ar e moans, grunt s, howls, high-pit ched shr ieks. St r ong, put r id odor like decaying flesh or r ot t en eggs. These cr ea - t ures ar e somet imes ascr ibed such par anormal feat ur es as invulner abilit y, t r anspar ency, insubst ant ialit y, invisibilit y, and t he abilit y t o disappear inst ant aneously. Appear s t o show int er est in and have no fear of human dwellings. Dislikes car s and dogs, which oft en r eact wit h gr eat fr ight . Somet imes associat ed wit h unident ified flying object (UFO) sight ings. Tracks: Anywher e fr om two- t o six-t oed. Three-t oed ar e perhaps commonest and have been r epor t ed fr om t he Sout h, t he Midwest , Pennsylvania, Mar yland, and sout hern Califor - nia. Lengt h, up t o 14 inches. St r ide, up t o 5 feet . Hair samples have been found. All pr imat es have five t oes. Any Hair y biped t hat leaves clear imprint s showing anyt hing less t han five t oes const it ut es an ext reme evolut ionar y anomaly. Pent adact yly (having five finger s or t oes) is a common and pr imit ive feat ur e of rept iles and mammals. However , it is not an essent ial r equir ement , and many animals have modified t he plan: fr ogs only have four digit s, cows have t wo, hor ses have dr opped all but one, and snakes have got t en rid of legs alt oget her. Most bir ds get by walking on only four (t hr ee in fr ont and one behind), while t he Ost r ich (Struthio camelus) only has two. If t hr ee-t oed, humanlike bipeds r eally exist as flesh-and-blood creat ures and are not paranormal apparit ions, it would be most int er est ing t o find out mor e about their foot structure. Perhaps three toes is better than five when you’ve chosen a swamp or wetland as your habitat. Habitat: Secluded areas, often forested wetlands or mountainous regions. Distribution: Nearly every U.S. state and Canadian province. Most sightings represent only transient individuals. A partial list of places where Hairy bipeds have been reported follows: Alabama—Choccolocco Valley, Town Creek. Arkansas—Center Ridge, Greene County, Jonesboro, Leachville, Poinsett County, St. Francis County, South Crossett, Springdale. California—Antelope Valley, Borrego Sink, Lytle Creek, Pearblossom, San Gorgonio Mountains, Santa Paula. Colorado—Green Mountain Falls. Connecticut—Bristol, Crystal Lake Reservoir, Winsted. Delaware—Selbyville. Georgia—Edison. Illinois—Big Muddy River, Cairo, Centerville, Chittyville, Creve Coeur, East Peoria, Effingham, Farmer City, Kickapoo Creek, Murphysboro. Indiana—Attica, French Lick, Galveston, Hoosier National Forest, Knox County, Pike County, Richmond, Rising Sun, Roachdale, Sharpsville, Winslow. Iowa—Clinton. Kentucky—Albany, Leslie County, Trimble County. Labrador, Canada—Goose Bay. Louisiana—Cotton Island, Honey Island Swamp. Maine—Durham. Manitoba, Canada—Gypsumville, Steinbach, Whiteshell Provincial Park. Maryland—Calvert County, Churchville, Dickerson, Harford County, Kingsville, Prince George’s County, Sykesville. Massachusetts—Bridgewater, Raynham Center. Michigan—Byron, Charlotte, Dowagiac Swamp, Fenton, Houghton Lake State Forest, Lake City, Marshall, Mason, Mio, Monroe, Oscoda County, Port Huron, Saginaw, Shiawassee River, Sister Lakes, Tuscola County, Yale. Minnesota—northern part of state. Mississippi—Meridian, Winona. Missouri—Louisiana, Pacific, Troy. Montana—Monarch, Vaughn. Nebraska—south of Lincoln. Nevada—Nevada Test Site. New Hampshire—Hollis, Salisbury. New Jersey—Great Bear Swamp, High Point, Middletown, Vineland. New York—Burlington County, Ellisburg, Morristown, Mount Misery, Richmondtown, Sherman, Watertown, Whitehall. Newfoundland, Canada—Trinity Bay. North Carolina—Dismal Swamp, Tabor City. Ohio—Alliance, Brookside Park, Carlisle, Coshocton County, Defiance, Eaton, Huron, Kenmore, Kimbolton, Mansfield, Minerva, Monroeville, Muskingum County, Newcomerstown, Point Isabel, Rome. Oklahoma—Canton, Kiamichi Mountains, Mountain Fork River, Nowata, Noxie, Tahlequah, Wann. Ontario, Canada—Cobalt, Webequie, Weenusk Indian Reservation. Oregon—Conser Lake, Roseburg. Pennsylvania—Allegheny County, Allison, Beaver County, Bradford County, Buffalo Mills, Chester County, Chestnut Ridge, Derry Township, East Pennsboro Township, Edinboro, Fayette County, Gray Station, Indiana County, Jeannette, Lancaster, Latrobe, Lock Haven, Somerset County, Uniontown, Westmoreland County, Whitney. Saskatchewan, Canada—Grand Rapids. South Dakota—Standing Rock Indian Reservation. Tennessee—Charlotte, Flintville, Lascassas, Knox County, Monteagle Mountain. Texas—Bells, Caddo, Denton, Haskell, Lamar County, Lake Worth, Newton County, Paris, Peerless, Polk County. Vermont—Chittenden, Hartland, Rutland County, Williamstown. Virginia—Colonial Beach, Middletown. West Virginia—Cacapon Bridge, Davis, Hickory Flats, Marlinton, Parsons. Wisconsin—Benton, Cashton, Deltox Swamp, Grafton, Granton, Jefferson, Medford. Significant sightings: Riley W. Smith saw a naked hairy man, about 6 feet tall, while picking berries near Winsted, Connecticut, on August 17, 1895. The incident was the first of about twenty that allegedly took place in western Connecticut and the Catskill Mountains of New York over the next few weeks. Widely and possibly erroneously regarded as a hoax by newspaperman Louis T. Stone, the original incident may have involved a bear. An apelike, bipedal creature with a yellow head and mane was seen by workers near the Violet Mine east of Cobalt, Ontario, in September 1906. In 1923, two prospectors saw a similar yellow- headed, black-haired animal eating blueberries; they thought it was a bear until they threw a rock at it, prompting it to get up and walk away on two legs. Later sightings earned it the nickname “Old yellow top.” The last sighting was in August 1970 when Aimée Latreille, the driver of a bus carrying twenty-seven miners, was forced to swerve after he saw an apelike creature with a light mane cross the road; the bus nearly had a fatal crash down a nearby rock cut. In August 1963, Harlan E. Ford and a friend encountered a huge humanoid in Honey Island Swamp near Slidell, Louisiana. It glared menacingly at them and ran away on two legs. In May 1964, near Sister Lakes, Michigan, Gordon Brown and his brother saw a hairy man about 9 feet tall who made a whimpering sound. Shortly afterward, three teenagers saw a 7-foot creature with a black face running through the underbrush in Silver Creek Township. Many other witnesses came forth and were named in extensive newspaper coverage. A green, 10-foot-tall monster with glowing red eyes was seen in March 1965 by teenagers in the woods south of French Lick, Indiana. They called it “Fluorescent Freddie.” In 1965, two teenagers were chased from their campfire by a 9- to 10-foot hairy creature on the north slope of the San Gorgonio Mountains, California. On August 13, 1965, Christine Van Acker and her mother were driving near Monroe, Michigan, when a hairy, 7-foot giant stepped in front of their car. Van Acker hit the brakes, stalling the car, and the creature reached through the open window and grabbed the top of her head. The women’s screams and horn honking apparently made it retreat. On May 19, 1969, George Kaiser saw a mansized creature covered in black fur on his farm near Rising Sun, Indiana. It made a strange grunting sound, jumped over a ditch, and swiftly ran down the road. Later, footprints with three small toes and a big toe were found. A greenish-white UFO was seen by a neighbor the next night. Odd, froglike noises woke up teenagers Wayne Hall and Dave Chapman early on July 24, 1972, at the latter’s home near Crystal Lake Reservoir in northwestern Connecticut. Looking outside, they saw an 8-foot hairy creature. It crossed a road and moved around in the shadows near a horse barn. After forty-five minutes, it crossed the road again and disappeared in the woods by the lake. On the night of April 22, 1973, William Roemermann, Brian Goldojarb, and Richard Engels saw a Bigfoot-like creature near the Sycamore Flats campground in Big Rock Canyon, Los Angeles County, California. It chased their truck for about twenty seconds, its long arms swinging in front of its chest. On returning, they found many huge, three-toed tracks. In May and June 1973, an apelike creature terrorized the area around Sykesville in Carroll County, Maryland. Five-toed, 13-inch footprints were found, separated by a stride of 6 feet. On June 25, 1973, Randy Needham and Judy Johnson were parked near a boat ramp on the Big Muddy River near Murphysboro, Illinois, when they heard a piercing cry that came from the nearby woods. They looked up and saw the sound came from a huge shape lumbering toward them. The creature was about 7 feet tall and covered with a matted, whitish hair. Others saw and heard the same creature over the next two weeks, and it reappeared in the summers of 1974, 1975, 1988, and 1989. At 4:30 a.m . on September 2, 1973, Chester Yothers woke up and saw a Bigfoot-like creature only 5 feet away outside his trailer near Whitney, Pennsylvania, apparently looking at the house next door. He woke his wife and called the police, who arrived shortly afterward. The monster was gone, but they found wet footprints on the concrete and in the flower bed. Dennis Smith and Jimmy Slate heard pounding and shrieking noises in the woods next to Overlook Drive, near Watertown, New York, in the early morning of August 10, 1976. As the sun was rising, they saw an erect, black hominid walking down the road about two city blocks away. When Smith yelled, the creature turned around and ran in the opposite direction. Later, two 15-inch-long tracks, trampled grass, and some long hairs were found. On May 18, 1977, two thirteen-year-old boys were walking their dog near the historic Roberts Covered Bridge south of Eaton, Ohio, when the dog got frightened and they smelled a rotten-meat odor. Turning around, they saw a 9-foot, apelike creature with dirty brown hair, white eyes, and long arms; it chased them toward the road. Both boys were terrified for weeks after the incident. Two 14-inch, humanlike prints were found near Seven Mile Creek on a nearby farm. Some twenty-eight sightings of Bigfoot-like creatures 6–9 feet tall were reported in wooded areas around Little Eagle in the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota from September to November 1977. Numerous large footprints were found, and high-pitched shrieks were heard repeatedly. Cecelia Thunder Shield said the being was tall with gray, shining hair and a black face. In January 1980, an employee of Reynolds Electrical and Engineering Company saw a 6- to 7-foot hairy creature while driving along a highway at the northern end of the Nevada Test Site. It disappeared in the sagebrush. James Guyette saw a huge hairy humanoid walking and swinging its arms along an interstate highway near Hartland Dam, Vermont, in April 1984. It moved down the embankment and headed west. A woodsman of Gray Station, Pennsylvania, was walking at the forest edge at dusk on December 13, 1986, when something threw a large piece of wood at him. He looked up and saw a hairy creature, standing 8–9 feet tall with wide shoulders and long arms, blocking the path. After a moment, it turned, stooped, and ran into the woods. Gary Lee Hayes was hunting near a tract of the Houghton Lake State Forest, Michigan, on November 25, 1990, when he saw a tall, upright creature moving on the crest of a nearby hill. It had black hair all over its body and was 7 feet tall. The creature walked down to a large beaver dam, squatted down, stood up, then went back uphill. Robert Toal found huge, human-shaped tracks in the snow on his property in Kingsville, Maryland, on the night of February 4–5, 1995. Field investigators from the Baltimore-area Enigma Project arrived a few days later and photographed the tracks, which were 20 inches long, 11 inches wide, but only 1 inch deep in the powdery snow. The tracks had an average stride of 4 feet 10 inches in a straight line and apparently passed through a 4-foot-high wire fence. Since even humans weighing less than 200 pounds made deeper impressions in the snow, the Enigma group thought these were the full-body impressions of a much lighter animal, possibly a jumping rabbit. Early in the morning of March 28, 2000, James Hughes was driving his newspaper route near Grafton, Wisconsin, when he saw an 8- foot hairy humanoid standing by the side of the road. The creature was carrying something that looked like a dead goat. Human tracks 14 inches long and 5 inches wide were found in early June 2001 on the Weenusk Indian Reservation at the mouth of the Winisk River on Hudson Bay, Ontario. The stride measured 6 feet. Present status: Distinctions between North Am erican Ap es, Devil Monkeys, Hairy bipeds, and Bigfoo tare nebulous and possibly arbitrary. In general, North Am erican Ap es are tailless and primarily quadrupedal, and they resemble chimpanzees; Devil Monkeys are tailed and resemble baboons; Hairy bipeds cover a wide range of descriptions, from apes to Wildmen and even paranormal Entities; Bigfoo tis a robust, tall hominid with a range that seems restricted to the Pacific Northwest. Possible explanations: (1) Many hoaxes, such as pranksters wearing masks or suits. The Selbyville, Delaware, swamp monster of 1964 was admittedly a hoax perpetrated by a man in a monster suit. (2) Mentally unstable or homeless humans living in the woods. This explanation may have been especially true for nineteenthcentury reports. (3) Misidentified American black bears (Ursus americanus). (4) Monkeys or apes escaped from zoos or circuses. (5) Entities associated with UFOs, suggested by Stan Gordon and Don Worley. (6) Occurrences of Bigfoot outside its traditional range in the Pacific Northwest. The only comparative analysis of Hairy biped data in eastern North America has been done by Craig Heinselman, who looked at 654 reports from fifteen eastern and northeastern states between 1838 and 2001 and found few differences in height or other narrowly selected physical characteristics from the Pacific Northwest Bigfoo t. He arrived at a tentative population estimate of 210–420 adult individuals for all fifteen states. Category:All Cryptids Category:Humanoids Category:Apes Category:Bipedal Category:Mammals